Page 49 - PEN Ebook March 2021

Market Market

ket, EV sales did not decrease

during the COVID-19 crisis and
manufacturers continued to
develop module technologies
adapted to EV. A CAGR of 18% is
forecast from 2019 to 2025 for
IGBT power modules and the
supply chain must get ready for
such an increase in volumes .

Talking about the supply chain,
this is also being shaken by the Figure 3: power module market trends.
penetration of xEV: there are
major investments in the semiconductor industry, have seen the use of new designs and new mate-
such as 300mm fab investments (Infineon, ST Mi- rials to reshape the standard modules to improve
croelectronics, ON Semiconductor, Silan Microe- the thermal dissipation of SiC. The innovations are
lectronics, etc.) or acquisitions and supply agree- spread throughout all manufacturing levels, from

ments for SiC wafers and devices, as automotive encapsulation to the heatsink. New hard resins Figure 4: EV/HEV modules.
players need to rely on a robust supply chain and instead of the classic epoxy have been offered;
semiconductor manufacturers also need to as- while in automotive sectors, integrators shifted The requirements from application to application costs will decline greatly and must continue to
sure their business. We have seen that automo- from case modules to molded single side cooling are not the same and a one-size-fits-all technol- do so in the future to gain wide market adoption.
tive OEMs are keen on the technology and have modules. New substrates have a big impact on ogy is not enough. The key aspect for chip and
become more intrusive in the power electronics thermal dissipation; copper has seen widespread package developers will be to provide room for In this context, analysts from System Plus Con-
designs, teaming up with device and module use as material for lead frames while SiN AMB wide enough parametric trade-offs within a given sulting and Yole expect not only an increase in
manufacturers or developing internally their own substrates are becoming a standard. Finally, die base technology to realize the application-specif- the market for IGBT power modules and stabili-
proprietary device or module technology. and substrate attach also play a role in increasing ic product requirements of a wide range of appli- zation of the Si MOSFET market but, in particu-

module reliability especially at higher tempera- cations. Innovative technology can have a higher lar, new designs and materials for power module
However, the path is not all green for SiC. Behind tures; silver sintering is becoming more and more cost by itself, but the final impact on the integra- packaging and WBG-based devices. Moreover,
its adoption, we need to point out the develop- common as an alternative to soldering and can be tion and the flexibility of the final system must the complete supply chain will be reshaped, with
ments in packaging. Currently, there is still only a found in different types of packaging. be considered. Initially very expensive due to the new players, system integrators and OSATs enter-
limited number of automotive-qualified module improvements in the base material, die design ing the semiconductor markets.
suppliers. Since the standard Silicon packaging is and new packaging solutions, we expect that the
not optimized for the higher performance of SiC, POWER ELECTRONICS: WHAT

new designs and materials are being continuously THE FUTURE HOLDS…
introduced. An important challenge is the thermal Since its introduction with the first transistors, For More Information
and electrical connectivity between the package the power electronics market has been driven by
and the SiC MOSFET die. SiC MOSFETs were initial- technology innovations, consumer needs, political ▶ Yole Developpement and System Plus Consulting
ly released only in three-lead through-hole pack- choices, and environmental issues. After the first
ages, though now several more advanced discrete two megatrends of industrial and renewable en- ▶ (PC1) Keynote: Power devices market evolution and related technical
and module packages are becoming available. ergy sources, the power electronics market and
technology developments of the near future will developments, Elena Barbarini, and Ana Villamor – Talk at Power Forum
In the last year, System Plus Consulting’s analysts be strongly driven by the automotive sector.

48 MARCH 2021 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com MARCH 2021 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com 49